TRP: Hansel, Goro, and Raef (Pact Help)
Day 276, Morningstar Keep. ' ' It was kinda nice to be back at the castle again. Hansel had some upkeep shit to do, especially with spring well on its way, so he'd been keeping himself pleasantly busy -- his version of resting. Was nice having more room to spread out, too, much as he loved all of these fuckers, not being crammed into inns or ships or camps or some shit. ' ' Didn't stop him, though, from perking up when he spotted Raef out on the grounds. Sonofabitch looked like he was in a bad mood or something, and Hansel realized this was the first time they'd been home since -- Griffin. He didn't dwell on that too much. Wasn't gonna be helpful to be grim himself if he intended on cheering Raef up. ' ' Hansel tried to sneak up on him, fully aware it might get him shanked, realized he wasn't doing that great a job anyway -- Goro's charm could only help so much -- and scooped him up off the ground and into a hug as soon as he was in range. ' ' "Hey, chaveri." MINK The air was warm, the birds sang, it was downright pleasant if it wasn't for the castle. He was happy in a way to be back, but entering the castle...seeing the dogs...It was better outside. Az was also not glaring at the book every thirty seconds. ' ' Raef flipped a page, tossing a pebble up and down. The man had said he'd help, but all he got was fuckin' confused with each spell he read. This one was supposed to be easy - supposed to be - ' ' It took Raef longer than it should've to hear Hansel, but when he was lifted up it didn't matter. He snorted with amusement as he was scooped into a hug. Fuckin' Hansel. He was worth every bit of being tossed around. ' ' "Hey," he said as he squeezed him back, smiling. "Try not gigglin' next time." IZZY "Pssh." He set Raef back down, still holding onto him and grinning. Hadn't had a chance to tell him yet, what with the saving Amari and the moving around and shit. "Hey. If I wanted t'be sneaky I could fuckin' be sneaky. Learned a new trick." MINK "I dunno if a new trick can help you." Raef chuckled, one arm loosely holding onto Hansel still. "What is it?" IZZY "Fuck you," Hansel said, amused. He pulled away and gestured. "Turn around and count to five. I'm gonna fuckin' disappear. You'll fuckin' see then." MINK "You have to ask nicely first." Raef snorted and turned around. Hansel was probably full of shit. He made a show of covering his eyes. "One..." IZZY Hansel snorted at him. ' ' When he finished counting and turned back, Hansel was gone, but a few feet away there was a big, scruffy tomcat placidly licking its paw. MINK Raef glanced around the grounds briefly when he turned back, but there was no sign of the giant half-orc. He squinted at the cat, knelt, and scooped him up. "You make a fuckin' cute cat, Hansel," he said, laughing softly. IZZY Hansel's ears went back. The hell had he guessed so quickly. Dammit. He committed and kept being a cat. Maybe he could fake Raef out. MINK Raef scratched lightly behind Hansel's ears and dropped into a sitting position. "I can keep this up all day." LINA Goro crossed the bridge and approached the castle, pack on his back, using his staff as a walking stick. ' ' Hell, if this place wasn't a sight for tired eyes. That meant it was home, he guessed. ' ' Raef was on the grounds, and Goro waved as he walked by. But when he got closer, he saw Raef was cuddling a cat. A very familiar cat. ' ' Goro changed direction so he could walk over. He scratched the cat's chin. "New mouser, huh?" MINK "He's not sneaky enough to be a mouser." Raef snickered softly as he pet down Hansel's back, scratching lightly with his nails. LINA "He is an awfully big boy," Goro remarked, trying not to grin too hard. "Bet he's pretty quick, though." MINK Raef smiled, amused. He doubted Goro wasn't aware. "I s'pose." He stroked down Hansel's head and neck. "Probably has a couple o' tricks in him." LINA Goro held his arms out and made grabby hands. "Here. Lemme see." IZZY Hansel purred loudly. MINK Raef gave Hansel one more pet before handing him over. "Careful. He bites." LINA "Psh. Big old docile guy like this?" Goro took the cat and nuzzled his face into its fur. "Must've just thought you looked really tasty." MINK Raef planted his hands into the grass and leaned back. He stretched his legs out in front of him. "He thinks I taste great," he answered with a shadow of a wink. IZZY The cat wriggled out of Goro's arm to pounce onto Raef's chest, then abruptly became Hansel again, kneeling over him and snorting as he smacked a hand over Raef's mouth. MINK Hansel moved fuckin' quick and Raef couldn't help but laugh, muffled by the hand over his mouth. He could barely stop from laughing long enough to lick the palm of Hansel's hand. LINA Goro chewed on his lip, feeling himself turning pink. Yeah, he ought to, uh... get up to his room and unpack. He picked up his staff again and started to creep away. IZZY Hansel snorted and wiped his palm on Raef's sleeve. What were they, fuckin' six-year-olds? Then he saw Goro start to try to slip off out of the corner of his eye, narrowed his eyes at Raef a bit, and tilted his head at Goro before moving off Raef to snatch the back of Goro's robes and drag him down with them. ' ' "No you fuckin' don't," he said, rubbing his face against Goro's like he was still a cat. LINA "Pfff." Goro gave up, sliding his pack off his shoulders and moving closer against Hansel. He pressed his face against Hansel's chest, both 'cause he'd missed him the past day, and so no one would notice him blushing. IZZY Hansel squeezed him tight with both arms for a moment, then made himself fuckin' calm down about it and shifted to keep just one around him, leaning back towards Raef. He nodded to the book. "What you up to, anyway, chaveri?" MINK Raef tucked his legs under him as Hansel hugged Goro; the two were fuckin' adorable. "...tryin' to read," he answered as leaned over to grab the book that had toppled to the grass. He settled back in beside Hansel. LINA Goro turned his head to the side and frowned when he saw the book. He leaned over a little to get a better look at it. "You reading about fuckin' pact magic, or some shit?" MINK Raef glanced towards Goro, weighing his words. Goro was family, but...fuck. He was a cleric. "No." They were all gonna figure this shit out anyway. "Tryin' to read the spells." IZZY Hansel squinted at him. "How come?" LINA Goro was already shaking his head. "Buddy, listen, I've been around that block, and you do not wanna go there." MINK "I'm pretty fuckin' sure I want to go there," Raef replied, avoiding Hansel's question. LINA "Hey. Raef. Buddy. Pal. Do you remember a pretty little lady we met called Diva? Yeah, that was the end result of ten fuckin' years of me tryin' to read spells. Pact magic is a fucking death trap. Take it from a guy who knows." IZZY "Yeah, the fuck," Hansel put in, still puzzled. MINK "Yeah, I remember." He'd half-thought, while drunk off his ass and alone his bed, to find the bitch and ask her to get Az back for him. "I'm fuckin' aware." He was fine with fuckin' dyin'. He wasn't fine with what would happen after. LINA Goro frowned. Well, if he hadn't fucking learned his lesson about telling friends when they were making stupid decisions, fucking with weird magic shit. He rested his head on Hansel's shoulder and didn't say anything. IZZY Hansel was quiet for a moment. He nudged Raef's shoulder with his. "Hey. Fuckin' why?" MINK Goro dropped it - good. Hansel didn't. For a second he thought about telling them to both fuck off before he pinched the brim of his nose. He dropped his hand with a sigh. "I'm not gonna fuckin' die and be stuck without them." Without Griffin, without Az. No, fuck that. LINA Goro frowned some more, then held out his hand. "Lemme see that thing." MINK Raef passed the book over. He thought about not, but if there was anyone who knew a damn thing it was Goro. LINA Goro took the book and shifted into a better position for reading. He started flipping through. Didn't need to look too closely; just some quick skimming told him everything he needed to know. The names of spells on each page were familiar, and he had a damn good guess what the commentary and directions under each one said. ' ' "Funny." He clapped the book closed and passed it back over. "Ain't nothing in there about magic to control the afterlife." IZZY "Look," Hansel offered, "we'll just fuckin' kill more gods if we got to. You ain't gotta go fuckin' ... selling your soul or some shit." MINK Raef dropped the book in front of him. "I'm not gonna kill Silvanus because Az was good." He snorted with amusement. Az would go right on back and he deserved that. "It's fine. The fucker can do what he wants with my soul." IZZY "The fuck he can." LINA "Who? What fucker?" MINK "The dick I made a deal with." Maybe calling him a dick would bite him in the ass - but what was he gonna do? Kill him? IZZY "Wait, wait." Hansel sat up straighter. "Fuckin' hang on. Wait. You already goddamn did it?" LINA Goro whimpered and hid his face again. MINK "'Bout two weeks ago, yeah." IZZY Hansel reflexively held Goro tighter. He stared at Raef. "All right," he said after a beat. "All right, guess we're gonna kill another eldritch fuckin' thing, or whatever, then." LINA Fucking horrific, but Goro couldn't help snorting. Eldritch fuckin' thing. MINK Raef looked at Hansel. "We're not killin' a fuckin' thing. " IZZY "The fuck we ain't." LINA Goro groaned. "Raef, why. Who the hell is it?" MINK "Anwyll or some shit." Maybe it was a fake name, maybe it wasn't. It didn't matter. "I have shit to do and I got this -" he tapped the book - "to do it." IZZY "You got like a dozen fuckin' knives and swords, chaveri," Hansel objected. "And us. I mean, goddamn." MINK Raef arched an eyebrow. "I couldn't even kil- help Griffin. What makes you think I can kill fuckin' Gruumsh with a knife?" IZZY He scowled. LINA Goro straightened up, shaking his head. "Nah, you don't gotta worry about that, 'cause I'm gonna kill Gruumsh with a knife." He pretended to stab at the air, complete with a sound effect. "Right in the eye." MINK Raef snorted. "You're gonna have to share." LINA "No! You were a bad boy. You lost your fuckin' turn, making deals and shit. All stabbing goes to me now." IZZY "Pffft." MINK "Fuck you. I'm older. I get to make the rules." LINA "Older and slower. We'll see who gets there first, eh?" IZZY "All right, fucksake." Hansel waved between them, scowling. "First this Anwyll fucker, then Gruumsh. You gotta work up to shit." MINK Raef reached up to push down Hansel's hand, resting it in the half-orc's thigh with his over the top. "No." The amusement was gone. "You can't kill Anwyll. For me." IZZY Hansel narrowed his eyes. "Well, he can't have your fuckin' soul. Maybe if he's real nice and just gives up his claim or whatever-the-fuck, he ain't gotta die." LINA Goro was torn. 'Cause on one hand, Raef might be feeling the same way Goro did when Hansel shit-talked Mask. But on the other hand, fuck this Anwyll guy, whoever the fuck. "Gonna have to go with the big guy on this one, Raef. Whoever the hell the asshole is, he can't have your soul." MINK "Fuck. He can have it if he fuckin' wants it." Goro and Hansel were fuckin' great, but neither of them were dropping this, and not understanding. It was fuckin' frustrating. "Just... fuckin' drop it. It's not changin'." IZZY Hansel opened his mouth to say, the fuck he can, again, but -- eh. Didn't feel like arguing about it was gonna help any. He huffed and grumbled instead. "I fuckin' ain't droppin' it, but I s'pose you might as well figure out how to do magic shit before I get your goddamn soul back." He flicked the book, then curled his fingers between Raef's. LINA Goro supposed he could give Raef tips on that, if he was having trouble with it. Didn't want to, though. The feeling of casting spells calling on Diva's power, instead of Mask's, wasn't a pleasant fucking memory. Made him squirm, just thinking about it. ' ' "Think it was easy for me," he muttered, anyway. "'Cause... cleric. S'not... not entirely different, spellcasting wise." MINK Raef could've sighed with relief when Hansel and Goro finally dropped it; if only Az would drop it so easily. He squeezed Hansel's hand before letting go and grabbing the book. It balanced easily on his lap. ' ' "I've only ever stabbed shit." Occasionally hung a person, maybe a few other things, but spells were sure as fuck not somethin' he did. "None of this shit makes sense." LINA Goro grunted noncommittally. Couldn't relate, but had nothing helpful to say, either. IZZY "Hmph." MINK That was also frustrating. Raef sighed and drummed his fingers on the cover of the book. "Do you..." Goddamn. He was too old for this shit. "Could you help me?" LINA Goro half hoped that if he just didn't say anything, Raef would forget he'd asked. The question would fizzle out. ' ' The simplest answer? A yes, probably. But he didn't want to. Oh, god, he really didn't want to. Didn't want to have to look over those spells again, send himself back there, explain how he'd done it, how he'd thought of it. Well, y'see, you just gotta surrender yourself, open yourself up completely-- ' ' Invite something profane in to trample all over a space that was supposed to be sacred to Mask, but that part wouldn't be relevant to Raef. How fucking handy for him. ' ' Goro shrank against Hansel, curling in on him. He wanted to fucking help. Or be helpful, anyway. But he just didn't know how to fucking do it. "Dunno," he mumbled. "Dunno if... if I can. Maybe." IZZY Hansel frowned. He squeezed Goro and kissed his head, thinking -- wanted to make sure Raef was fuckin' safe with this shit, or as safe as he could be, anyway, but didn't want Goro to have to be reminded of Diva, either. ' ' "Can't this fuckin' guy help you?" he asked. "If he's the one giving you the magic, he oughta fuckin' ... tell you how t'use it or some shit." MINK Goro wasn't going to be helpful, and Hansel...Hansel didn't know Anwyll. He hadn't heard the silky, venomous voice dancing around the answers. ' ' Just give yourself to me, little elf. A wide, terribly wide smile and pools of ice leaning ever closer... ' ' Raef suppressed a shiver. "He's a dick. He wouldn't help me if I came crawlin'." LINA "Maybe you should've taken that as a fuckin' sign," Goro muttered, then hid his face before he could say any more shit. IZZY "Mm." Hansel had to nod and agree with that shit MINK "Fuck both of you." There was no real bite to the words, but he was done trying to explain or defend his shit. Raef popped open his bag and dropped the book into it before climbing to his feet. He could just figure the damn thing out of himself. IZZY "Hey." Hansel grabbed his wrist to tug him back, but didn't force it. "Fuck you too." MINK Fuckin' Hansel. Raef didn't take the step he was going to when Hansel grabbed his wrist. He still wanted to, but Hansel was his best friend and more. He sat back down with a sigh. ' ' He bent his knees and propped his arms on them. "I just fuckin' need help. You -" are the only ones I trust enough. Fuckin' corny and he nearly scoffed. "...please." LINA "Get an exit clause," Goro said. "I'm not fucking being sarcastic. That's my first suggestion." MINK Raef opened his mouth and thought better of it. "Will do." IZZY Hansel scoffed, not buying that Raef gave a shit for a fuckin' second. He slung his arm around Raef's neck to drag him closer. "Look. Lissen. Magic's fuckin' bullshit. Mishka's tried to teach me some shit about controlling it, but I dunno if it works the same way as warlock shit. I bet you could ask Ombre. She seems like, uh." Well, like a fucking nerd. "She probably knows things." He just didn't want Goro to have to dwell on it all that much. LINA "I can help," Goro muttered. "It's fine." MINK Raef snorted as he was tugged closer. "Could do." It was lookin' like Ombre was going to be the only -- He frowned at the mutter. "You sure?" IZZY Hansel frowned, too, and squeezed Goro. LINA "I sure fuckin' ain't, but it's better than just letting you--" Goro couldn't find the words, so he just flapped his hand around angrily. MINK Probably better than letting him blow up or some shit. Raef fished out the book again. He wasn't unaware of Goro's reasons, but...he had his own. "Then what the fuck do I do?" LINA Goro stared at the book, not wanting to look directly at Raef. "You have to..." ' ' He closed his eyes, breathed, and tried again. "You have to be a lightning rod. You... alright, think of it this way. When Mishka... when Mishka uses magic, he's just lightning, alright? He is the magic. When a wizard--when Ombre uses magic, she's, you know, she's someone who studies the lightning, and builds a path to conduct it. But me, I'm made of metal. I am the conductor. I catch the lightning that comes from Mask and I decide where it's gonna go. And it worked--" ' ' He paused, licking his lips. "Worked the same way with Diva. I caught her lightning. I don't fucking know, Raef, if it'll work the same for you. Maybe it's just something about me. But maybe, maybe it'd help, for you to try it that way." MINK Raef traced a nail down the edge of the book, watching the colors dance and swirl within the gem. Catching lightning. He flipped the cover open, letting the wind ruffle the pages of the book before it landed on a spell. He stared at the words written in glossy black ink. ' ' He had to catch lightning, and he was scared. ' ' Raef sucked his lower lip and bit the skin. He could do this - he hadn't gotten this far by listening to the creeping, crawling fear. He slipped a hand over the page. ' ' All he needed to do was catch lightning. ' ' For Griffin, for Az, for Aesar, for Gwydion. ' ' For himself. ' ' Raef inhaled softly and he let go, let himself let go of himself, of the tight grip he kept, and he let himself catch the tenuous glow of lightning. ' ' Except it wasn't lightning. It was silk gliding across his skin, whispering within his mind, promising sweet things in the dark of the night. ' ' The silk swung and twisted, caught on an unseen breeze as he turned a palm upright, releasing it into the air. It spun, knotted, tightened, and finally it wrapped around nothing. Lavender turned pitch and icy wind replaced the warm spring breeze. IZZY Hansel squinted. Hm. Fuckin' creepy. Wasn't sure about that shit. He shifted to shield Goro a bit more. LINA God. Somehow, that advice had fucking worked. ' ' Raef had opened himself up. Let... something... in. ' ' Goro hid his face against Hansel again. MINK Raef turned one more page, glanced down, and the sphere disintegrated, flaring out in slender, light colored tendrils before condensing once more. Only this time daggers pointed inward, towards nothing in particular. IZZY "Huh," Hansel said, before he could stop himself. "Neat." LINA Goro grunted and shook his head. Alright, that was great. He'd helped. He'd done his part. "I gotta go unpack," he said, crawling away from Hansel. MINK When Goro said he had to leave, the daggers vanished and Raef snapped the book closed. The silken feeling was still there, a light tickle at the back of his mind, but the book was closed. He'd done something. ' ' "Thank you," he said, glancing towards Goro. Goro didn't have to help him - he could've gotten up and just fuckin' left. Instead he'd stayed. IZZY "Hey, hey." Hansel caught Goro gently, not to try to drag him back, but just to keep him within arm's reach and follow. He glanced back at Raef, though, uncomfortable. Didn't really wanna leave him out her alone, either. Shit. LINA Goro stopped, settling once the freaky cloud and the whispers were gone. God, he never used to be like this. Never used to be a fucking baby. Motherfucking pact magic. MINK Raef put away the book, securing it in his bag. He could look it over later, when Goro wasn't around. "We should do somethin' else." Something to ease the tension, something to get the day back on track. IZZY Hansel pulled Goro back in to wrap him up in both arms, propping his chin on top of Goro's head so he was surrounding and shielding him on all sides. "Yeah," he agreed, with no fucking idea what that something else could be. LINA Goro put his arms around Hansel's waist. Felt a little bad needing him all to himself, though honestly, he wouldn't mind if Hansel spared an arm to put around Raef. Seemed like an awkward thing to suggest, though. ' ' "How's Az?" he asked. Still not quite fucking over the whole I-remade-a-person thing. Felt like he oughta keep a close eye on the situation. MINK Raef leaned back on his arms, kicking his legs out once more. "I think he's fine...looks fine," he answered with a soft little smile. Az didn't bitch or whine like he did. He even took Tikva and then the dogs just fine. "...yeah, he's fine..." IZZY Hansel watched him for a moment. "S'good." ' ' He kept thinking about what it'd been like to get Mishka back. Whole different thing, situationally-speaking, but -- getting them back. Getting to see them again, and touch them, and say ahuvi, ishi, and not fall asleep every night feeling like he was missing something. ' ' Kept thinking, too, about how he got Goro and Mishka both, and there was no bringing Griffin back. Fucking red lightning. Not even any ash left behind. ' ' He gave Goro another squeeze, then reached out to drag Raef against his side by the waist, kissing the top of his head. "Good." LINA Ah, there. Goro didn't feel so guilty now. Probably shouldn't feel guilty at all, he reasoned; he'd been able to help Raef. He'd done everything people asked of him. He figured he fucking deserved a hug, or whatever. Thinking that way, though--like he deserved anything, no matter what he'd done for it, always went to his head in a weird way. ' ' "Tikva too?" he asked, for more of a distraction from himself. MINK Yeah, it was good. Azrael was alive, he was well, and he was happy. That was good. It would never be as good as it could've been. If Griffin was still there...if he could come home and see him and Az and Tikva and the dogs... ' ' ...but it was still good. ' ' Raef leaned against Hansel as he was held. He was grateful when Goro changed the conversation. "She's great." He chuckled. "Fuckin' little hellion." He loved her. Her wide eyes, curious and bright, the light weight of her against his chest. "She's gonna give me a run for my money." IZZY Hansel grinned. "Even Luci wasn't that fuckin' small when I found her and Jonn. Haven't seen a kid that little since Leigh, and I was a lot smaller myself, back then. Goddamn." Fuckin' terrifying, honestly -- holding something that delicate. LINA Goro muttered something incoherent and pressed his mouth against Hansel's shoulder. MINK Raef snorted. "Looks even smaller when Az has her." He grinned. She was small even to him. "Shit. She's fuckin' precious. You two come by sometime." IZZY "Mm. We ought to." He kissed Goro's head. "Goro wants to hold her." LINA "Ffff. Psh." MINK "Any time you want." Raef reached over and squeezed Goro's shoulder; it was easier this close to him. "Just come by." LINA "Don't wanna hold any babies," Goro said. "Don't want kids. Don't love anyone. Families are dumb." IZZY Hansel snorted. "'Kay, ahuv." He rolled his eyes at Raef. MINK "Huh. Last I fuckin' checked you said we were family." LINA "Nah. Nah, I'm a goddamn lone wolf, and shit." IZZY "Mmhm." Hansel kissed his head. MINK "Sure you are.". LINA "Damn straight." Goro squeezed Hansel a little harder. He plucked at his own sleeve, then pulled his arms back, against himself. "Uh. Just remembered, I uh. I have something I need to tell you." He said it mainly to Hansel, but figured Raef would notice sooner or later, too. IZZY Hansel raised an eyebrow. "Yeah?" He knew Goro'd been in Skyport. Kinda thought he might've been ring shopping, so -- maybe he hadn't been able to find anything? 'Cause he sounded nervous. Or he'd changed his mind fuckin' entirely, but Hansel reminded himself that didn't make any fucking sense. LINA Yeesh. Goro almost chickened out, but what, like he was just gonna not let Hansel see his left forearm for the rest of his life? God. ' ' "I got a tattoo," he said. And he grabbed the cuff of his sleeve and yanked it up to his elbow, holding his arm out for Raef and Hansel to see. ' ' The crow had turned out a lot bigger than he'd been expecting--taking up pretty much the whole inside of his forearm, while the old gang symbol had only been a couple inches long. He really liked it, though. Loved it. Spent a ton of last night just marveling at it, once he'd healed it up. ' ' Made him nervous, though. Raef would probably think it was great, but he wasn't sure how Hansel was going to react to this large, abrupt alteration to his fiance's body. IZZY Ohhh. Hansel's eyebrows went up. He took Goro's wrist to turn his arm a little, getting a good look at the crow. "Shiiit." He whistled, impressed. "That's fuckin' nice, ahuv." He nudged Raef to say look, look how good this is, look how good Goro is. MINK Raef was expecting something big, like maybe Goro'd gone and done something stupid, and gotten himself hurt. But it was a large ass tattoo instead. Still, fuckin' great. "Looks fuckin' good," he said with a grin. "When'd you get it?' LINA Goro tried not to betray how pleased he was by Hansel's reaction. Didn't want to get flustered and shit. He chewed on his lip. ' ' "Yesterday. I just..." He traced over the remnants of the gang symbol--the artist had used the pattern of feathers to disguise it, and anyone who hadn't known it was there before wouldn't be able to detect it. You had to look really close even if you knew. ' ' "Thought it was time to cover up the old one. I got it in a gang I ran with as a kid, and I... sure don't fuckin' run with 'em anymore, so." IZZY Hansel grinned at him. "Shoulda got a lark, eh." LINA Goro half smiled back. "Nah, I don't... I mean, maybe. Next tattoo." He'd thought about getting a little lark somewhere, and a little trident, maybe, and stuff like that. But for this? "It's a crow 'cause... well, Voronin means crow. So it's... ah, I dunno." He shrugged. That was a fucking lie, he absolutely knew, he just felt too sheepish to put it into words. MINK "It's a good fuckin' tattoo." Raef never covered up his own, but he had an inkling about this one. It was a good idea or whatever. Sometimes the past needed a little covering up. IZZY Next tattoo, eh? Neat. Hansel grinned and leaned in to kiss his forehead, then wrapped an arm back around him. Hadn't thought about the Voronin thing. He liked that -- covering the old gang tattoo with a family thing. Was good. ' ' "Real fuckin' good, yeah," he agreed, pleased. Apart from the idea behind it, it just looked fucking good. He'd always liked Mishka's tattoos -- only thing that'd ever made him really think about getting one of his own. He nudged Raef. "Hey. You got any?" MINK "Uh-huh. Several." Raef's lips quirked. "Might show you a few if you're lucky." IZZY Hansel grinned a bit and squeezed Goro, resting his chin on Goro's head again. "Lucky, eh? Ain't got any tattoos but I can trade in showin' scars." LINA Goro shifted around a little. This was normally where he'd see himself out, but it seemed pretty clear Hansel didn't want him going anywhere. Didn't know what to do with himself instead, though. He nibbled on his thumbnail and watched Raef for a reaction, eyebrows raised. MINK Raef made a soft, thoughtful noise. "Bet you have some good ones," he said, smiling. "Guess you'll have to come by and show me." IZZY "Mm," Hansel agreed. "Goro could point out the best ones." He wasn't actually sure if Goro wanted to be involved in, uh. This. He was a little edgy, but he usually was. Figured they could talk about it if it seemed like a problem. Didn't want Goro to feel left out on purpose, was the main thing. MINK "Guess he'll have to come, too." LINA Oh, lord. Were they making fun of him? Probably not. Hansel and Mishka sure hadn't been, that night way back when, when they first made a pass at him. ' ' He was flushing too hard to play it cool, though. Kind of wanted to hide, but he didn't want them to think he was bothered by it, or anything. Sure fuckin' wasn't. ' ' "Guess so," he said lowly, and went back to chewing his nail. IZZY Hansel made another agreeable sound. Goro seemed all flustered. Fuckin' adorable, honestly. Didn't seem to be in a bad way, either, so he casually commented, "Sounds like a fuckin' date." ' ' Sometimes he thought about that first night he'd met Raef, before they're started working for Joan together. How he'd thought Raef was easy on the eyes, all small and angry-looking, but he'd been too fuckin' sad and Raef had been too fuckin' drunk. Was kinda like thinking about how he and Goro had been in Skyport at the same time, when they were both younger -- just taken them a lot longer to actually properly cross paths. ' ' Just made him feel fucking lucky, that he'd ended up with the both of'em anyway, making a weird little family out of the Runners. He looped an arm back around Raef, like it'd been before Goro showed them his tattoos. Fuckin' nice. MINK Goro agreed, Hansel agreed. It was fuckin' good, maybe even a little better than good. Raef settled back in against Hansel - yeah, it was fuckin' better than good. Sitting there with Hansel and Goro. He could've stayed there all day, but he couldn't. ' ' "Fuck." Raef sighed and extracted himself from Hansel, squeezing the half-orc's shoulder as he stood up. He needed to check on Tikva and Az...which wasn't the problem. The problem was that damn castle. ' ' He stretched his arms out over his head. "Gotta check on the kid. Wanna come?" LINA "Sure," Goro said. Although he was trapped in a Hansel-cage at the moment, so he looked at Hansel questioningly to see if he was interested. IZZY "Uh." He knew Goro wanted to, so he set aside his awkward nervousness about being around the tiny, tiny, delicate fuckin' baby and pushed up, pulling Goro along. "Yeah, why not. Az watchin' her?" MINK "Yeah. He loves her." Raef smiled at the thought. Az was reluctant, but he knew he loved her. He waited for Goro and Hansel to get up before leading the way to the castle, taking the familiar path that he used enjoy walking. He probably would again one day. Just not at the moment. ' ' He kept that off of his face as he led the way. ' ' Raef opened the door quietly, peeking in in case Tikva was asleep, but she wasn't. ' ' "Thank fuck. I have to piss," Az said as soon as it opened. ' ' Raef snorted. "She won't stop you." LINA Goro crept into the room after Raef. He remembered Raef making some comment about Tikva looking even smaller when Az held her, and holy hell, he wasn't kidding. Looked like a miniature doll in Az's gigantic arms. ' ' He put his arms behind his back and stood against the wall. God, he didn't even like babies that much, really. Just he'd never had one in his family before. It felt different. IZZY Hansel followed along, pausing when Goro stopped short and glancing at him. He nodded and raised a hand at Az, and -- ah, shit. Az might've misunderstood the gesture in his hurry, or maybe he just wanted to fuck with Hansel or something, but either way, he settled the baby into Hansel's arms before rushing off. ' ' Shit. Shit. Hansel froze. Oh, god. Too small. He looked between Raef and Goro desperately. MINK "Haven't y'all seen a baby?" Raef asked when both Goro and Hansel looked like startled deer. He chuckled as he gently stroked his fingers down the top of Tikva's head. He didn't offer to relieve Hansel. "She won't break." LINA Goro just about fucking melted at the sight of Hansel holding a baby. Hansel sure looked spooked, though, and at first Goro was just amused by it. He was puzzled over why, thinking Hansel was definitely old enough to've taken care of Leigh as a baby, and so... ' ' Ah, there was his answer right there, actually. He remembered talking to Marion about Hansel's childhood. She'd said she was always worried, telling him to be careful with Leigh. ' ' Aw. Goro walked up behind Hansel and put his arms around his waist, kissed his shoulder. "He's right. Not in these gentle arms, for sure." He decided to take some mercy on Hansel, though, and stepped around in front of him, carefully lifting Tikva up. "Y'know, babies are actually a lot hardier than people give 'em credit for, though." ' ' She peered up at Goro with her big, dark eyes. He tickled her cheek with a finger, and she yawned. He smiled. "Built to withstand a lot." IZZY He let out a bit of a relieved sigh when Goro took the baby, feeling kinda sheepish. Like he hadn't fuckin' held a baby before. It'd just been a while, was all. ' ' Tivka did just look ... hardier than Leigh had, from what he remembered of thirty fuckin' years and a lot of head injuries ago. And Goro looked goddamn adorable holding her. He thought about that conversation him and Raef'd had, that night, about having kids -- Hansel with Goro, Raef with Griffin -- and gently put his hand on Goro's back, not wanting to jostle him or anything. ' ' "Yeah," he said quietly. "She looks, y'know, strong." Orcish. No baby tusks yet, but they'd grow in. Wouldn't be long before she'd be running circles around'em, catching up to Theo. MINK Raef smiled softly as he watched Hansel and Goro. They looked good with her. Goro always looked good with kids - he was fuckin' fantastic with Theo. This was like that time in the kitchen, and he liked it. ' ' "She is," he agreed, still smiling warmly. She was going to grow up big and strong; she'd probably look a little like Griffin, too. He was big and strong. Raef swallowed and scratched the bridge of his nose. "You can, uh...watch her anytime." LINA Goro swayed back and forth to rock her, not paying any mind to Hansel and Raef for the time being. IZZY Hansel gave Goro an amused look and grinned at Raef. "Think we might, yeah." MINK Raef grinned back. "Your kid's a good babysitter. Maybe he'd do it again for us. Can't really see your scars if she's here." LINA Goro looked up to raise an eyebrow at them, then looked back to the baby. IZZY Hansel snorted. "S'a big castle. I think we got the room for havin' a daycare set up in the kitchen or somethin', yeah." He almost asked which kid, because Luci made more sense, but he didn't think he'd misheard that Raef'd said he. "Didn't know Jonn'd watched her," he commented. Jonn was good with kids, anyway. Made sense. It was ... probably fine. MINK "Mishka'd kill me if I set up a daycare." Raef laughed softly before he shrugged. "He asked...and he..." He made a vague sort of sound and gesture with his hand. "...he was fine. She was fine with him." IZZY Still kind of a relief to hear him say it. Wasn't like Raef'd suggest Jonn watch the baby again if it hadn't been fine, but ... still. He nodded, satisfied. "Yeah, he took care of Luci when she was little. S'good. He'd probably love t'watch her any time he's, y'know, around." LINA "He's great with Theo," Goro offered. That had surprised him. It'd made him jumpy at first, seeing them together. MINK Raef glanced towards Goro. He didn't know that. "Seems like he's good with kids." Which was something. Jonn was still...Jonn and he didn't know what the fuck to do about him, but this was another step. Taking care if Gwydion was the first. ' ' He looked back at Hansel. "It's good to have extra 'sitters." IZZY "Mm." Hansel nodded, still watching Goro with the baby, then back to Raef, grinning a bit. "Parents gotta have alone time, an' all." MINK Raef grinned. "Mmhmm. Gotta try to keep the relationship spicey." LINA Goro scoffed lightly. "You two. Should I step out of the room for a minute, ya think?" IZZY "Psshh." Hansel kissed his head. "Take more'n a fuckin' minute an' you know it." MINK "Dunno...sounds like maybe you need a few lessons," Raef said with a wink at Hansel. IZZY He scoffed good-naturedly. "You want references, or you prefer a demonstration?" MINK Raef hummed out playfully in thought. "Why don't you give me a demo and I can give you a couple o' lessons." IZZY "Yeah, we'll see who fuckin' teaches who." LINA Goro snorted and ducked his head. "God. I'm holding an infant here, you mind?" He shook his head at Raef. "Psh. You think Hansel needs lessons." MINK Raef looked Hansel up and down before he grinned at Goro. "Yeah, I think he does." IZZY Hansel grumbled. "You're backin' me into a corner here, chaveri. Y'know my fiance just got back home. I gotta take care of him first." MINK "I s'pose you'd better do that then." He had plenty of time and...yeah, fiances were first. IZZY "Hmm." Hansel gave Goro a knowing look. LINA Goro looked down at the baby in his arms. "Uh." MINK Raef snorted softly. "You can hand her back." LINA "Yeah but." Goro ground his teeth a little. "Then you couldn't..." IZZY Hansel gave him a look. MINK "Told ya you needed lessons." Raef chuckled as he stepped closer so he could gently take Tikva back. LINA "Psh." Goro passed her back over, shaking his head again. He stepped back awkwardly to take his place at Hansel's side. MINK Tikva settled nicely in his arms, comfortable in the crook and staring up at him. He lightly touched the tip of his nose to hers as he turned away. "Come on, enayim shelli, let these two rest," he whispered with a soft breath of laughter. "Daddy will be back soon." Category:Text Roleplay